In addition to my part time job in youth ministry, I recently took a part time job at a brand new Chick-Fil-A in State College. It's not my ideal position, but the people who work there are great, and the boss is awesome, so I'm not complaining. Working there allows me to interact with all sorts of different people. I normally work in the front of the store, so I take lots and lots of orders. I like to think I've been around the block enough to not be surprised by things people do in public, but I've been taken aback a few times already, and I've only been there for three weeks! The one that still gets me (and it happens every day) goes something like this:
Me: "Hi, welcome to Chick-Fil-A! How may I serve you?"
Person: "Yes...I need a #4..."
...and the rest of the conversation doesn't really matter for the purpose of the rest of this discussion. As soon as I hear "I need," I immediately think, 'Do you really NEED a filet of chicken that's been fried in oil for three minutes with a Coke and a large waffle fry (also cooked in oil)? Sure, this food tastes really good, but does your life depend on this meal? You actually NEED it? My guess is you don't really need it. You want it. You'd like to eat it...you'll survive if you don't get it. In fact, you probably don't NEED anything from this restaurant. The only thing you might actually need from this establishment is, if you're like me, a job.'
Of course I smile and happily serve them their food and wish them a good rest of the day, but every time I hear someone say 'I need' while ordering, I am seriously amazed at the sense of entitlement that people have today - and this covers many generations. I have heard a representative from nearly every age group besides children begin their order with 'I need.'
If you 'need' a delicious chicken sandwich, how do you handle other situations? What are your other 'needs?' What kind of expectations do you have? How about this: before you give me a coupon for a free sandwich and tell me that you need it, why don't you give that coupon to someone who actually needs to be fed without spending money.
This sense of entitlement makes me pretty upset, as you may have gathered. I am not innocent of this attitude either, although I am trying hard to stop. Here's how I learned I had an entitlement issue: Two years ago while going to Penn State, I had to run a quick errand one day, and it required me to park the car. Not wanting to pay for parking, I passed on the garage and parked in an area with metered parking. I didn't have change, but I was only going to be a couple minutes. Five minutes later I come back to see a sunshine-colored envelope gently tucked underneath my left windshield wiper. 15 bucks out of my pocket...I was royally ticked off. I was only running in and out! I was going to leave quickly! I didn't have any change! Should I fight this ticket?
Now seriously, how ridiculous does that sound? Was that my parking spot? Does it really matter if I was going to be there for even two minutes without paying? That's why they have the meters there...you're supposed to pay for parking. And think about it, it was really silly of me to get so worked up about this. I didn't follow the rules, and I deserved that ticket (as much as I hated to pay for it). These instances happen to people all the time, and people get upset about these things all the time. And if people get upset because of little things like this, then what happens for bigger and more important things? How can you answer that?
I normally write this blog just to get my thoughts out there, but the purpose of this one is to not only force me to examine my own life, but also to challenge the three of you who will read this. In what situations do you expect things to go your way? How do you handle things when they don't go your way? What are your needs? What are your expectations? Are they really helping you - or more importantly, are they helping others? Where do you need to look out more for the interests of others?
What do you deserve? Think bigger picture. (Hint: It's in the title)
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Tumbling After
A strange thing happened to me earlier this evening. I have the awesome privilege of pastoring a small group of students part time. I love it, and I feel alive when I do it, but it's not easy...I wish I had more time for it because I am not always that good at finding ways to relate things to the students...and I'm a pretty poor public speaker so I need lots of time to practice.
But you know what? That doesn't really bother me. Sure, I'd like to be much better at that but it's not like I accept it and give up...I keep pressing on. And if someone remembers what it is I stumble through saying, then I can't take any credit for it...that's all Jesus. I like the way that works.
I usually get a little nervous before I start the lesson with the students. Honestly, it's a little uncomfortable for me a lot of times I feel like I'm struggling through the evening...through leading worship (I'm not a very gifted musician either) and giving a lesson, I mess up chords and stutter and lose my train of though but I end up finally articulating the message I want to deliver and then I pray that all of the things I do which may be a distraction will not affect the students' ability to soak in the message. Like I said, I get a little nervous every time I start because I want it to go well, but I mostly get nervous because I really want the students to develop a deep and passionate relationship with Jesus and I tend to feel the weight of my responsibilities as a youth leader. I realize that I am in a position to have an impact in the lives of these students, and I want to leave a good mark.
Over the past two weeks, I was planning the lesson for earlier this evening, and I got really excited because the Lord gave me some good ideas and good illustrations for a pretty important passage of scripture: Philippians 1:18-30. Basically, Paul is sharing with the Philippians that, regardless of what happens to him, Christ will be proclaimed, and whether he lives or gets killed, he will glorify God. And because of that, he wants the Philippians to live a life worthy of the Gospel. Why? because if they don't, then they're basically wasting Paul's ministry in prison. That is strong. That is inspiring. I want that in my life, and I want that for my students. Clearly this is a deep passage of scripture, but it's so good. How often to we fall short of living a life worthy of the Gospel of Christ - wasting our ministry as Christians?
Back to the beginning of youth group tonight. Thinking about all of the scripture I just briefly explained, and realizing the depth and importance of Paul's charge, I got really anxious...not just the normal butterflies, but really sweaty palms and an increased heart rate. I've never had a panic attack before, but that's probably the closest I've ever come to one, and all of the students were sitting there watching me, ready for me to get things started. Before we start we always pray. Usually I have a student open us up but tonight I prayed. I prayed in desperation. I felt very small and very alone. I needed big strength. The rest of the night went about normal: I stuttered a lot and missed a few chords, but I really didn't care. I don't mind looking like a fool. After praying, the nerves went away and we had a good discussion. I don't know what the students got out of this evening, but I was so stoked to feel the Lord carrying me through youth group when I felt very much alone and weak. Paul had great courage for continuing to make God's name greater even while in prison...that reminded me to be courageous even though my situation pales in comparison to what Paul experienced. I believe I was under some spiritual attack tonight, and Jesus fought for me where I was weak. That's a huge encouragement for me.
It's easy to get discouraged and upset when we feel like we're wasting our ministry as Christians (or not being as effective or salty as we'd like), but the Lord showed me once again that all we need to do is show up and He'll take it from there. It takes courage and lots of faith and trust, but experiencing that kind of love leaves me hungry and wanting more. May the Lord give us the desire to obey and serve fiercely, and may our lives have a radical flavor.
But you know what? That doesn't really bother me. Sure, I'd like to be much better at that but it's not like I accept it and give up...I keep pressing on. And if someone remembers what it is I stumble through saying, then I can't take any credit for it...that's all Jesus. I like the way that works.
I usually get a little nervous before I start the lesson with the students. Honestly, it's a little uncomfortable for me a lot of times I feel like I'm struggling through the evening...through leading worship (I'm not a very gifted musician either) and giving a lesson, I mess up chords and stutter and lose my train of though but I end up finally articulating the message I want to deliver and then I pray that all of the things I do which may be a distraction will not affect the students' ability to soak in the message. Like I said, I get a little nervous every time I start because I want it to go well, but I mostly get nervous because I really want the students to develop a deep and passionate relationship with Jesus and I tend to feel the weight of my responsibilities as a youth leader. I realize that I am in a position to have an impact in the lives of these students, and I want to leave a good mark.
Over the past two weeks, I was planning the lesson for earlier this evening, and I got really excited because the Lord gave me some good ideas and good illustrations for a pretty important passage of scripture: Philippians 1:18-30. Basically, Paul is sharing with the Philippians that, regardless of what happens to him, Christ will be proclaimed, and whether he lives or gets killed, he will glorify God. And because of that, he wants the Philippians to live a life worthy of the Gospel. Why? because if they don't, then they're basically wasting Paul's ministry in prison. That is strong. That is inspiring. I want that in my life, and I want that for my students. Clearly this is a deep passage of scripture, but it's so good. How often to we fall short of living a life worthy of the Gospel of Christ - wasting our ministry as Christians?
Back to the beginning of youth group tonight. Thinking about all of the scripture I just briefly explained, and realizing the depth and importance of Paul's charge, I got really anxious...not just the normal butterflies, but really sweaty palms and an increased heart rate. I've never had a panic attack before, but that's probably the closest I've ever come to one, and all of the students were sitting there watching me, ready for me to get things started. Before we start we always pray. Usually I have a student open us up but tonight I prayed. I prayed in desperation. I felt very small and very alone. I needed big strength. The rest of the night went about normal: I stuttered a lot and missed a few chords, but I really didn't care. I don't mind looking like a fool. After praying, the nerves went away and we had a good discussion. I don't know what the students got out of this evening, but I was so stoked to feel the Lord carrying me through youth group when I felt very much alone and weak. Paul had great courage for continuing to make God's name greater even while in prison...that reminded me to be courageous even though my situation pales in comparison to what Paul experienced. I believe I was under some spiritual attack tonight, and Jesus fought for me where I was weak. That's a huge encouragement for me.
It's easy to get discouraged and upset when we feel like we're wasting our ministry as Christians (or not being as effective or salty as we'd like), but the Lord showed me once again that all we need to do is show up and He'll take it from there. It takes courage and lots of faith and trust, but experiencing that kind of love leaves me hungry and wanting more. May the Lord give us the desire to obey and serve fiercely, and may our lives have a radical flavor.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Something Better
This song has been on repeat in my head for the past few days. It's a prayer for revival and renewal...thus it is my prayer for me and the students I lead (but not just those things). I love how simple it is, and I love how often the words "take this" are sung. It's all "take this," which obviously means that he doesn't like it and is tired of dealing with it because he knows there is something better, and he asks for whatever that "something better" is. Now we don't always know what exactly that "something better" is, but when we pray knowing that we need to change or that we need something better (or need to live for something better), those prayers will be answered. They may not be answered in the ways we expect, but be confident that the Lord is transforming us into something better.
Enjoy the video!
Enjoy the video!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
College Top Ten List
Here's a list of the ten best parts of my college experience. I want to go into greater depth for each year, but this will get it started. Here we go...
The Top Ten Moments/Memories of My Penn State Experience
10. My freshmen year dorm - would never have chosen to live with those 5 guys (except for Christian) but I loved it. Had some really interesting moments and loved living with them. If I had a blog my freshman year, you would have been able to read about some pretty crazy stories.
9. Penn State Football - if you know me, you may be surprised to see this so low on the list. That goes to show how awesome college was for me. There are specific moments where football was awesome, but this is the overall football experience during the last four years. 40 some wins and three bowl victories...not bad at all! And the student section never failed to entertain - I was stoked to be part of it.
8. Regular meetings with Aaron Henning - I would be lying if i said the relationship Aaron and I developed was not influential in my spiritual growth. His wisdom and compassion for me certainly played an immensely important role in my leadership development...and sense of humor actually. It was fun to have really serious conversations while making each other laugh.
7. Freshman Guys Bible Study - my freshman year was awesome, and so was bible study...and so were the rest of the guys in the bible study. I made some incredible relationships from that group, and I was so excited to be inspired and challenged by them every week. Looking back on it now, it's amazing to think about the leadership potential from that group. Quite impressive.
6. Winter Break Roadtrip - During my freshman year, I was asked by my Bible study leader if I wanted to go see Penn State take on Tennessee in the Outback Bowl. I said yes, and proceeded to have an amazingly fun week filled with golf, sun, beach, Dave Hine throwing up, great conversation, and a great Penn State upset!
5. ACF Baptism Services - during my time at Penn State, I went to all 8 baptism services, and I think I cried in 7 of them. There's something really powerful about seeing close friends make a stand for Christ...definitely a time to celebrate! Every time someone was baptized, all I could think about was how Satan absolutely hated what was happening. Victory is delicious!
4. ACF - most of these moments/memories/experiences are because of Alliance Christian Fellowship. Making ACF my home was the easiest and probably best decision I made while in college. The friends I made and the weekly fellowship from ACF continue to impact me. I'll be friends with some of those people for a very long time
3. Freshman/Sophomore Guys Bible STUDy - no, this is not a repeat. This is when I was co-leading it. Seeing those shy freshman guys transform to the next generation of ACF leadership was a huge source of joy for me and I'm so glad I was there to pour into them. Love those guys!
2. Living at the HOP - I loved living here, 15 minute walk to campus = far enough away that the partiers will not be a bother! Loved the parties we had there, loved the conversations I had there. Mostly, I'm super grateful for living with the roommates I had: Christian, Ryan, Aaron, Kyle. These guys didn't live at the HOP all at the same time, but they were the best. Ryan Stauffer is my best man for a reason, and that is largely because of the moments we shared at the HOP...I should make a top ten list of events at the HOP...unfortunately, only three people would think it would be legitimately funny, and I'm one of them.
1. Building a relationship with my (then future) fiance - enough said really. A total blessing. A life changing event.
I like making lists like these because it makes me think of everything that happened. It was pretty tough to narrow it down to just ten. Here are some honorable mentions: Mission Trip to New Orleans, Summer Internship in Alabama, PSU-Illinois basketball game junior year (I have to share that story!), and pranking Kate freshman year.
The Top Ten Moments/Memories of My Penn State Experience
10. My freshmen year dorm - would never have chosen to live with those 5 guys (except for Christian) but I loved it. Had some really interesting moments and loved living with them. If I had a blog my freshman year, you would have been able to read about some pretty crazy stories.
9. Penn State Football - if you know me, you may be surprised to see this so low on the list. That goes to show how awesome college was for me. There are specific moments where football was awesome, but this is the overall football experience during the last four years. 40 some wins and three bowl victories...not bad at all! And the student section never failed to entertain - I was stoked to be part of it.
8. Regular meetings with Aaron Henning - I would be lying if i said the relationship Aaron and I developed was not influential in my spiritual growth. His wisdom and compassion for me certainly played an immensely important role in my leadership development...and sense of humor actually. It was fun to have really serious conversations while making each other laugh.
7. Freshman Guys Bible Study - my freshman year was awesome, and so was bible study...and so were the rest of the guys in the bible study. I made some incredible relationships from that group, and I was so excited to be inspired and challenged by them every week. Looking back on it now, it's amazing to think about the leadership potential from that group. Quite impressive.
6. Winter Break Roadtrip - During my freshman year, I was asked by my Bible study leader if I wanted to go see Penn State take on Tennessee in the Outback Bowl. I said yes, and proceeded to have an amazingly fun week filled with golf, sun, beach, Dave Hine throwing up, great conversation, and a great Penn State upset!
5. ACF Baptism Services - during my time at Penn State, I went to all 8 baptism services, and I think I cried in 7 of them. There's something really powerful about seeing close friends make a stand for Christ...definitely a time to celebrate! Every time someone was baptized, all I could think about was how Satan absolutely hated what was happening. Victory is delicious!
4. ACF - most of these moments/memories/experiences are because of Alliance Christian Fellowship. Making ACF my home was the easiest and probably best decision I made while in college. The friends I made and the weekly fellowship from ACF continue to impact me. I'll be friends with some of those people for a very long time
3. Freshman/Sophomore Guys Bible STUDy - no, this is not a repeat. This is when I was co-leading it. Seeing those shy freshman guys transform to the next generation of ACF leadership was a huge source of joy for me and I'm so glad I was there to pour into them. Love those guys!
2. Living at the HOP - I loved living here, 15 minute walk to campus = far enough away that the partiers will not be a bother! Loved the parties we had there, loved the conversations I had there. Mostly, I'm super grateful for living with the roommates I had: Christian, Ryan, Aaron, Kyle. These guys didn't live at the HOP all at the same time, but they were the best. Ryan Stauffer is my best man for a reason, and that is largely because of the moments we shared at the HOP...I should make a top ten list of events at the HOP...unfortunately, only three people would think it would be legitimately funny, and I'm one of them.
1. Building a relationship with my (then future) fiance - enough said really. A total blessing. A life changing event.
I like making lists like these because it makes me think of everything that happened. It was pretty tough to narrow it down to just ten. Here are some honorable mentions: Mission Trip to New Orleans, Summer Internship in Alabama, PSU-Illinois basketball game junior year (I have to share that story!), and pranking Kate freshman year.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Go.
This morning I heard a really good sermon from one of the members of Grace United Methodist church - the church I'm working at. They are doing this thing called the Matthew 28 Initiative, which, if you've read Matthew 28, it's where Jesus commissions his disciples to go out and make disciples. Well, now we are Jesus' disciples, and so we must obey this command. This tiny little church is taking this seriously, and I am excited to see how this will impact the community...if we all take it seriously. Being in contact with the students, I am excited to try to empower them to take ownership of this Initiative, because they have the ability to impact an area of the community where most people cannot: other teenagers. And it is cool to think that many instances of revival and renewal occurs in the teenage crowd. This morning got me excited for the year to come, and hopefully we can come up with some cool ideas to help the students grow and get excited about the mission field that is Penns Valley Area High School.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Ch-ch-ch-changes
College went pretty fast, and it was awesome...I'll have to post a list of my top ten moments in college or something...that'll be an entertaining treat for sure. But now I don't have to go to class, so that means I need to get a job. What I really want to do is work full time for a church, and I pray for that opportunity pretty much every day. Until then, or at least until I get married, I am working part time for a nearby church as youth director. The people there are great, and I'm excited to finally get that started! I believe cool things are going to happen this school year.
But I'm getting side tracked. That is only a part time job, which means that I have a lot of extra time. Obviously, I would love to fill those hours with fantasy football analysis, SportsCenter, a healthy dose of XBOX Live, and whatever extra time I have would go into playing the new Halo game, cooking, eating, sleeping, and hanging out with my fiance Meagan. But since my desire to provide for both Meagan and myself is greater than my passion for leisure, I am looking for another part time job. The job search process is really stupid right now because I really have no desire to do anything other than mentoring students and working in a church. This clearly limits my options, and since I already have a part time job, my availability isn't all that great either.
That being said, I have filled out a good number of applications over the past week or so. I can't say that I enjoy filling them out, but nearly every application has asked the same question: 'Why are you interested in this job?' And I kindly reply, 'I am interested in this job because I enjoy the specific business to which I am applying and I feel that my given skill set would be beneficial in creating a more improved experience/product at said location.'
Translation: "I want/need money, your money - if you choose to hire me. I promise I'll do a good job and do my best to make everyone's job easier. I will show up on time, do good work, and be reliable. That is a fair trade for the cash you are hopefully willing to provide."
Obviously, I go into greater detail, but that is basically it. I wish I could find something that would feel more like serving or making a difference. I don't want to get paid for a job - I would rather take a return on the time I invest in something, and that's why applying for jobs to help a bigger corporation or business run smoothly or work the way it's supposed to is not fulfilling to me. Rather than saying 'enjoy your meal' I want to say 'let's get lunch and talk about life.' I want to put together care packages for people instead of bagging people's groceries. I would love to find a job where I feel like I'm actually helping people rather than a business. Don't get me wrong, those jobs are necessary, but I want to do something that makes me feel alive, and I feel alive when serving people. Give me a job like that. I'd do it for free if I knew I could get by without the money.
But I'm getting side tracked. That is only a part time job, which means that I have a lot of extra time. Obviously, I would love to fill those hours with fantasy football analysis, SportsCenter, a healthy dose of XBOX Live, and whatever extra time I have would go into playing the new Halo game, cooking, eating, sleeping, and hanging out with my fiance Meagan. But since my desire to provide for both Meagan and myself is greater than my passion for leisure, I am looking for another part time job. The job search process is really stupid right now because I really have no desire to do anything other than mentoring students and working in a church. This clearly limits my options, and since I already have a part time job, my availability isn't all that great either.
That being said, I have filled out a good number of applications over the past week or so. I can't say that I enjoy filling them out, but nearly every application has asked the same question: 'Why are you interested in this job?' And I kindly reply, 'I am interested in this job because I enjoy the specific business to which I am applying and I feel that my given skill set would be beneficial in creating a more improved experience/product at said location.'
Translation: "I want/need money, your money - if you choose to hire me. I promise I'll do a good job and do my best to make everyone's job easier. I will show up on time, do good work, and be reliable. That is a fair trade for the cash you are hopefully willing to provide."
Obviously, I go into greater detail, but that is basically it. I wish I could find something that would feel more like serving or making a difference. I don't want to get paid for a job - I would rather take a return on the time I invest in something, and that's why applying for jobs to help a bigger corporation or business run smoothly or work the way it's supposed to is not fulfilling to me. Rather than saying 'enjoy your meal' I want to say 'let's get lunch and talk about life.' I want to put together care packages for people instead of bagging people's groceries. I would love to find a job where I feel like I'm actually helping people rather than a business. Don't get me wrong, those jobs are necessary, but I want to do something that makes me feel alive, and I feel alive when serving people. Give me a job like that. I'd do it for free if I knew I could get by without the money.
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